One of the most common questions I am asked is how long until my injury is better or how long until I can run/play golf/workout again? The typical answer is, “It depends”. And it does depend on a lot of factors.
First off, it depends on the type of tissue that is injured (we will learn more about that in the chart down below). Also, how quickly you heal depends on a host of other factors:
-Do you drink an adequate amount of water?
-Do you eat a well-balanced diet?
-Do you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night?
-Do you smoke or use other drugs that will slow down your bodies healing?
-Do you have irregular labs or other diagnoses that might impact your body’s ability to heal?
-How long has your injury/restriction been going on for?
-What have you been doing? Modifying/deloading as recommended or fully resting leading to deconditioning?
With that said, I take it as my goal to make sure that you fully understand what is happening with your body and what it is going to take to fully heal up by the time you leave the initial evaluation visit. I use this first visit to get a deeper understanding of the root cause(s) of your issue so that I can best recommend a plan of care that will solve that problem. The length of your plan of care depends on all of those factors above and my professional experience in helping people solve a similar issue as yours.
My practice is a little bit different since I am able to see folks 1-on-1 for a full hour each time they come in. Most folks see me 1x/week and have a thorough plan to follow outside of their visit with me. Depending on the issue, most folks see me anywhere from 6-12+ visits in their initial plan of care. Then some continue on at a 1-2x/month frequency after their plan of care for maintenance work, programming, and more.
The reason I see most folks anywhere from 6-12+ weeks is based on the science around tissue healing. Muscle injuries tend to heal faster than tendon or ligament injuries due to muscles having more blood flow available to them. As you’ll read, the tendon and ligament injuries take longer to heal, especially if larger damage has been done. And nerve injuries can take the longest to heal.
While it can be pretty confusing and overwhelming, it's my job to help you navigate this process. I help you understand what is going on, make a recommendation for your plan of care, or help refer you to the correct provider should you need another type of care.
Let me know if you have any questions or help with your injury.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sieara Hinshaw
828-808-3704
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